Today's accomplishments

I've taken to creating lists for every day, just like my mom used to do for us when we were at home. Especially in the summer when kids are wont to be lazy. Now, I find myself creating them so that I can know exactly what tasks I'm faced with each day, and I must admit, marking them off gives a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

It feels good to be able to say, that today I:

• finished my first half-week's readings and aced the quiz
• participated in online discussion for class
• submitted a critical article review assignment (and got it back with a good grade!)
• drafted another film review assignment (for the 4-hour Hamlet which I watched Mon-Tues)
• ordered new lenses for my reading glasses (yup, still have 'em)
• picked up a ton of delicious food at the grocery (a lot of fruit for a fruit salad on Friday)
• made dinner: pesto with multi-grain penne, red potatoes, and fresh green beans (delicious)
• baked brownies for our Bible study movie night tonight (BBC's Sense & Sensibility)
• got some pulled pork BBQ started in the crock (to be finished tomorrow)

I didn't get my work out in this morning, but I slept in as a trade off. It felt great. Plus, my hip has been a little sore and I figured one day of complete rest would do some good. It does feel better, and will more so when I do my stretches. 

I've been moving my *apple butter item on the list to every subsequent day for two weeks. I think I might try this weekend. It takes like 10 hours with prep and crock cook time, and sometimes I just don't have the energy to face that. Peeling, coring, and cutting that many apples...makes my hands hurt just thinking about it.

I'm working hard to get my assignments done before Friday so that I can enjoy a full day of watching the 5-hour Pride & Prejudice with a friend. We've been planning on doing this for at least a month, maybe longer. I'm so glad we finally can! Add that to the Jane Austen movie we're watching tonight with my Bible study girls, and this is a perfect week full of awesomely talented English authors. My favorite!

What's your favorite Shakespearean play OR sonnet OR Jane Austen novel? (Interactive blogging, see? You're supposed to answer!)

Cooking Adventures, Part Deuce

Wednesday was my first day off for the summer (6 weeks, baby!). In my typical style, I tried to pack too many things into that first day. I have a list of things to accomplish, things that have been thwarted by 8-hour work days. I set out very early Wednesday to make that day count!


After an early work out session, I headed to the store to buy ingredients to make my own pesto. A few years ago, my lovely sister helped me out by making Lana-friendly pesto with organic produce from the farm where she was working. It was divine! And, since I cannot eat store-bought or restaurant-served pesto, I really wanted some more. It's a great addition to so many things: pasta, sandwiches, and the new discovery: pizza. The real reason I needed pesto pronto was due to Kim's recently posted pizza recipe. I wanted it. And my first day off was the day to do it. Kyle was off that day, so I knew he could knead pizza dough for me (something I sadly cannot do on my own). 


The grocery was very disappointing. No bulk basil for pesto. But I bought some spinach (because I had a hunch that could substitute in a pinch) and the remaining ingredients for the pizza. This meant I had to make the pizza before the produce went bad. Where to find massive quantities of basil? Where else but the farm! I stopped by and found out they were in desperate need of someone to basically groom the basil so it could grow bigger and more full. I did just that and scored probably 3 cups of teeny tiny basil leaves. Plus, I scored some spinach. This entire process took me until 2pm from grocery (10a) to returning from the farm. I was hot and tired, but very excited for pesto. So I began washing and rewashing and drying the spinach and basil. I picked the tiny stems from the tiny leaves. I de-stemmed the spinach. I gathered all of my ingredients and began to process the pesto. Our food processor is tiny, so it took several batches to get all the leaves ground down. Then, I added the garlic, oil, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Group #1 of the pesto included all of the farm spinach and some basil. Group #2 included a larger proportion of basil and store-bought spinach. 


Here was my set up for this whole mess: 

 Yes, it was very messy.

But here's the finished product! I had two little jars like this and one large jar. 

I froze the two smaller ones and used the large one to make dinner.


The whole process ended around 4pm, at which point I collapsed of exhaustion on the floor, vegged out in front of the computer, and then took a shower to get ready for the next phase, which began a short two-hours later. We had to make dinner, people. And it was homemade Pizza. Something I had never done before. Luckily, I'm married to former pizza maker extraordinaire, so we were in good hands. 


Although not the best picture, this was Kim's recipe for Kale, Tomato, Pesto Pizza. (See here for what to do with the leftover pesto, tomato, and gouda.)

It boasts a whole wheat crust (so yum), pesto for the sauce, then completely covered in gouda (oh, heavenly), then tomatoes and kale piled on top. We added some shredded Italian cheese to the top because we love cheese. 


It was unbelievable. We will be eating this again. We also used this time to see how our pizza stone works. Fairly well, if I do say so myself. I even ate two leftover pieces of pizza for lunch today and they were good reheated. What?! I doubted, but I was wrong. Mmm, mmm, good. 


Another cooking success, and with 3 jars of pesto to show for the day, I feel completely satisfied with my first day off. Oh, and by the way, I also made chicken and bean tacos in the crock pot that morning and tuna salad for lunch. It's like I love the kitchen or something (no, I don't). 

Cooking Adventures, Part 1

I really enjoy cooking. I wouldn't say that I'm always creative or that I even always feed Kyle and myself well. However, when I have time to try something new and it sounds divine or has gotten a good rating from friends, I actually get excited!


In the past few weeks, we've tried several new dishes. The best by far turned out to be the Prosciutto-wrapped pork chops, rosemary roasted potatoes (a new recipe), and broiled asparagus. The desert suggested with it was Red wine Pear Sorbet. We found this recipe while watching a show one random Saturday in the fall. It was intimidating. I had never heard of Prosciutto before and while the woman on the show made it look SO stinking easy, I knew that couldn't be true. But, we were pumped and embarked on this cooking adventure together (thankfully, as there was rubbing raw meat with spices involved; and we all know I don't do that). 


Little did we know what was in store for us. The meat and potatoes were stove-based, so we had three pans going at once. And the oil spatter started early. Hot, searing pings of sizzling oil...all over everything. Gross. Then, because we have a stupid, old coil stove, they didn't cook evenly and one was scorching while the other was just okay. Kyle would have thrown in the towel, well he kind of did emotionally when he checked the first pan of 2 pork chops. He tossed the tongs and said, "That's it. Ruined. Stupid stove!" I wasn't ready to give in to despair just yet. I had shelled out a lot of money for these chops and the wrapping Prosciutto. Plus, even if it's gross, I actually really liked charred food. 


So we continued in this atmosphere: 

 Scared and nervous, yet hopeful.

The whole house became engulfed in smoke from the stove. We opened 'er up and had fans going at both doors. I was bound and determined to win against this meal! In the midst of this fog, we heated up the oven to 450 for asparagus. What were we thinking?! It was HOT.


As it turned out, I hadn't read the directions very closely. The potatoes took 30 minutes (duh! Of course they would.) and everything else about 10. Plus, the dessert took over night. Epic fail by Lana! We ended up with pork chops and asparagus together, let it sit for a while and then had a few potato pieces. We were stuffed by this time. No room for the dessert that was waiting in the freezer for the next day when we had round 2 of this meal: 

Our assessment of the meal was: delicious! The char was perfect (I wouldn't have it any other way). The asparagus (olive oil and sea salt) gave a totally new texture and color to the plate, which was fun. The potatoes had just a hint of rosemary, which is different from how we normally make them. And the subtlety worked for this dish. Kyle did mention he'd prefer our other method for the potatoes next time, but all in all...yums!


Truth be told, it was just as good, if not better the next day. Even I was skeptical about that, and I will eat anything for leftovers. The dessert was phenomenal, too. Mmmm. I love pears (right, Grandpa?!)!


This cooking success made me even more eager to try out some other new dishes that I've gleaned from friends' and cousins' blogs. Yesterday was another cooking adventure, but more on that later.


Email me if you want these recipes. They are SO worth it.

Vacation: Early May

We really didn't capture pictures of much while we were on our Phoenix/Mexico vacation. However, I'll post the few cute ones we got, and also one that Maddie took of us that is less-than-flattering, but funny. You can tell how antsy she is to be in the ocean rather than being forced to take a picture of her aunt and uncle.

Also, we burned very badly. Not as bad as NC 2004, or whatever summer that was that I acquired those lobster legs that prevented me from sitting comfortably for a week. No, not that bad. We have been peeling ever since we returned, however. Not that anyone would notice here; we're all wearing sweaters and winter coats still, so no peely shoulders or arms are visible.

The Book Thief, review

I haven't done many book reviews here, yet even as I don't necessarily feel adequate in writing this one, I must. It compels me.

Steph gave me this book for my birthday, I believe. I was in the middle of a grueling semester which transitioned into an insanely busy spring (not from schoolwork, however, but doctor visits and stretching). My first chance to read something for my own pleasure came over my two week hiatus from classes at the beginning of May. I was looking for something light following a semester of depressing, dark, self-destructive narratives in Post Colonial literature. This intriguing title and picture on the book cover nabbed me from my bookshelf.

I began the book on our 4-hour plane ride to Phoenix. The Prologue was so unique and enticing that I made Kyle read it. What does it mean, he asked. I didn't know, but knew I had to find out. Thus, I delved into this mysterious, incredible story, and I never looked up. I didn't reach for my iPod. I didn't talk to Kyle. I read while snacking on pretzels and sipping ginger ale. I hardly rested my eyes for any length of time. I didn't want to stop. It was hard for me to focus on talking to my sister when she picked us up from the airport...the vivid characters were milling about in my mind, wanting to continue their story.

I really don't want to give any of the novel away; it is absolutely so unique in style and frame. I hardly want to tell you what point of view it is written from, in case it would ruin the wonder and the mastery of it. I want others to read it in order to find out if I am the lone human being so touched by this story. On the flight home, I wept and I wasn't even at the very end. A few days later as I finished it on a break at my work desk, I had to pause at discreet, short intervals in order to collect myself. But the tears came anyway. This story is unbelievable.

The New York Times said, "It's the kind of book that can be LIFE CHANGING," and USA Today stated that it "deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank." The Washington Post claims it is "absorbing and searing."

I cannot disagree. Though fictional, it is no less compelling and true to the heart of humankind as Anne Frank's diary.This book did change my life, although I'm not entirely sure how. I know that I shall never forget it, as long as I live (and that's an extremely bold statement, I know).

I found myself wondering in the middle of it, whether I could somehow finagle my master's thesis from this book, or at least incorporate it as one of the texts. I just want an excuse to read it again.

Here is my concise praise for this book:

It is, by far, the best modern fiction I have read (granted, I don't read much modern fiction). 

It moved me. 

I want you to read it so we can talk about it. Are you up for it? Have you read this? Will you?

What is the best fiction / nonfiction that you've read lately, something that you know you can never forget?

Reassessing My Position

It's the end of April and I need to pause a second to reflect. What has come of this school year? Of this semester? Of this month? Where am I?

This week I have met with yet another doctor to assess my lower back, leg nerve issues. The shot did help, but I still have pain. I have very good days with little pain at all, and then days like today, with quite a bit. Sitting always makes it worse, which is unfortunate since my job requires a lot of sitting and life requires a lot of driving. This doctor has assured me that by meeting with him twice a week for an indefinite amount of time, I will get better. He believes that in addition to the piriformis / sciatica issues, I have chronic lower back problems. Great! Add it to the list, people.

I have to admit that it is extremely difficult not to have a bad attitude about all of the medical professionals I've seen and monies we have spent on trying to fix this problem. It scares me to think what if this is what the rest of my life looks like? Maybe I'm just a chronic health money pit. More frustrating than anything to me, I think, is seeing how our savings are dwindling...that money is supposed to be stowed away for a house down payment. And here I am spending it on myself. On medical professionals who may or may not help. On ridiculously extravagant medical bills that make me wonder what the heck could possibly cost that much money based on what I know they did or didn't do for me!

I'm supposed to believe that everything happens for a reason. And I kind of do. But at the same time, this 10-month ordeal is starting to make me question it. What is the point?, dear Lord, please tell me. I do, honestly, want to know. I need to see a higher purpose because I'm floundering in the needless pain. And yet, what is my suffering in the face of worldwide suffering? Ah, perspective.

Last night I completed my final exam for my course this semester. It's great to check off Year 1 of Grad School, Round 2. Only two more years to go (yikes). Hopefully, our situation will allow me to simultaneously work on my thesis while taking other courses. We'll see. If I continue to have semesters like this one, with little work, then it shouldn't be a problem. However, if they resemble the fall semester workload, there's no way thesis will get done. I think it is very possible to finish a semester earlier than planned. I'm hopeful.

The end of the line

If I had to ask myself tonight if I was doing my absolute best to prepare for my final....my answer would be...um, no.

Did I do dishes and make food last night instead of studying: Yes.
Did I watch TV for 3 hours tonight: Yes.
Did I go for a walk: Yes.
Did I do my stretches, which take 45 minutes: Yes.

Do I care about my final: Yes.

Although my actions don't really speak much to the last answer, it's true. I do care. But, on the other hand, it's only 10% of my grade, a grade which is, to date, in very good shape.

Will I pass the final: Yes.

And I will be oh-so-glad to be done driving 3 hours a week for 4 months!